Captured In The Night
by thelostgirl74
Summary: Sofia's family is murdered late one night after Tom Riddle shows up at her door. Kidnapped and at the mercy of a psychopath, Sofia wakes up in the past to a very different world. What has Tom Riddle done to the timeline?
1. 01: The Intruder

**Note to Readers: This chapter has been edited on 6/16/20.**

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One: Intruder

It was a little after 11 pm when the front door was blown off its hinges.

Sofia put a hand to her chest, nearly letting out a scream. She was currently alone in the house with just her older brother.

She sighed heavily, throwing the book on her desk as she got up and stormed over to her bedroom door. "Newt? What in Merlin's name are you doing down there?"

The reply came back muffled. She took a few steps out of her room, seeing her brother's feet at the front door. She was about to call out again when her brother started doing the oddest thing. He twirled around, dancing like a ballerina.

Sofia let out a laugh until her brother fell over, landing backward on the coffee table. That was when she noticed there was a second person just outside the doorway.

What was going on? "Newt?"

Her brother's eyes met her own and there was an agonizing, pleading look in them.

"Who are you? Get out of here!" Sofia shouted.

Sofia headed downstairs. Halfway down she spotted a dark-haired boy with pale skin about her age stood over her brother.

He ignored her completely. "Avada Kedavra."

Sofia couldn't take her eyes from her brother. A frozen smile was plastered on his face along with a look of fear in his eyes. It held her in place as she stood immobile in the middle of the stairs.

The intruder stepped forward as he looked up. His gaze met hers and their eyes locked. He looked pleased as he studied her for a moment. When he moved towards her, a strange sound escaped her throat and she turned and ran, not expecting to make it.

Sofia ran into her room, slamming the door. She looked for her wand, but it wasn't in its usual spot. She couldn't think straight. The unhurried footsteps of her brother's murderer came closer. There was nowhere to run, and the small open window would barely fit a cat through it.

Her throat closed up as she stifled a sob and hid inside her closet.

The door opened with a creak as Sophia's nails dug into her arms.

The footsteps stopped in the middle of her room near her bed as the intruder remained silent.

Sofia was sure the sound of her heartbeat would give her away. It was a stupid place to hide. The image of her brother's empty eyes suddenly made her retch as she lost her dinner.

The closet door opened slowly as she felt his gaze that made Sofia freeze, her eyes glued to the messed up carpet.

The sound of laughter broke the spell as she looked up into his mocking gaze. Sofia felt something else rise up and she wanted to knock the boy's teeth down his throat.

He tilted his head at the change, finding her interesting.

Sofia lunged at her brother's murderer, but he was ready and grabbed her arms, dropping his wand. He spun her around, holding her and pinning her arms in an x formation from behind. He was stronger than he looked.

They slid down to the floor, as she felt his lips touch her ear and felt his breath on her skin as he laughed again.

Her eyes went to the boy's wand.

"Do you think you'd get to it in time?" His voice made her jump.

She didn't answer as she struggled again, unable to break free.

"Do you want to kill me, dear?" He asked.

Her voice broke, as tears streamed down her cheeks betraying her. "Go to hell."

"Do you think you'd be able to cast a killing curse? It takes a lot of hate." He said.

"Who are you? One of Voldemort's leftovers?" She asked.

She felt him laugh again. "I'm Tom Riddle."

Sofia turned and looked at the boy's face as if for the first time. He watched her calmly, letting the information sink in.

"That's impossible. Voldemort died five years ago at the Battle of Hogwarts." Sofia said.

"Did he now?"

"Do you think no one heard the door being broken down? You're not getting away with this." Sofia said through clenched teeth.

"No one will arrive in time to save you, my dear. It will take a few days before they even find out he died. I placed a spell preventing anyone from hearing us. You can scream at the top of your lungs and no one will hear you." Riddle said.

A small whimper escaped her throat. She wanted to remain angry but found herself crying instead. She hated herself for feeling so helpless.

He looked around the room. "Your parents aren't very careful are they dear? I was here a few days ago. I broke in during the night. The back door wasn't even locked."

Sofia remembered her brother looking everywhere for his wand. She hadn't even noticed her own was missing until tonight.

"I saw you sleeping and planned on killing you too. Your entire family is dead and you're next." He said with a smile.

"I hate you," Sofia said softly.

"You're mine now." Riddle breathed into her ear.

"You're going to have to let go of me to reach your wand," Sofia said.

"You think I need a wand to cast a spell?" Riddle asked.

Before Sofia could process what he said, Riddle whispered a spell into her ear and she felt everything go black.


	2. 02: Patient

**This chapter was edited on 5/30/20**

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02 - Patient

Sofia sat up in bed as moonlight filtered through the curtains; the only light in the darkened room. Where was she? What day was it? Had he drugged her or given her a sleeping potion? It felt like days, but she couldn't be sure. Looking around she realized she was alone. The bedroom was sparse with a simple twin bed and no decorations.

Her sluggish memory refused to surface but the murder of her brother hit her like a ton of bricks. Grief overwhelmed her. She grabbed her arms, digging her nails into her flesh. She tried not to make any noise and forced herself to calm down. Riddle popped into her head, invading her thoughts like a plague. The thought of_ him_ made her stomach turn sour.

She had to find a way out, but why wasn't she tied up? This seemed too easy. If Riddle woke up, she would say she was looking for the bathroom.

Sofia felt old thin carpet below her feet and tiptoed down the dark hallway. She found Riddle's sleeping form in a separate bedroom with the door open. She paused, feeling an overwhelming desire to end his life but she didn't have her wand. Maybe she could put a pillow over his face and suffocate him. The memory of his strong grip as his arms held her firmly from behind made her pause, feeling nauseous. There would be a time to stop him, but right now she had to escape. She carefully made her way down the hall and past some spare rooms whose doors were closed. Didn't he have any followers? If so, why weren't they guarding the place? She reached the end of the hallway and cringed as one of the floorboards squeaked. Sofia held her breath and stopped motionless in case someone came out, but no one did. She continued until she was at the front door and grabbed the doorknob.

It would not open.

Her heart pounded harder as she turned the knob again and yanked harder, cringing at the loud noise it made. This was not happening! There was no bolt or anything, just a keyhole.

Sofia sighed into the palm of her hands, trying to come up with a new plan.

"Lumos."

Sofia nearly screamed as Riddle suddenly appeared behind her.

"What are you doing up this late darling?" He asked.

Sofia stiffened with a gasp. She looked over her shoulder as Riddle looked down at her with a sleepy yet calm expression.

Her mind was blank as the reply she had prepared suddenly seemed lame. She looked at the door helplessly and he seemed to follow her gaze.

"Were you trying to go outside?" He asked calmly.

Sofia remained silent and gazed at the dark blue carpet.

"It's freezing outside anyway and about a foot of snow out there. What are you going to do, go out in your pajamas and bare feet?" He scoffed.

She looked up at Riddle sharply. "No, it's not. It's summer. The heat was sweltering the night you broke in and attacked my family."

Riddle tilted his head in thought. "Are you having another episode?"

Sofia frowned deeper at him. She had left the window open because of the summer heat. She had just graduated from Hogwarts and was looking for a job.

"An episode? Am I having an episode?" She asked sharply.

Riddle sighed and turned the porch light on. "Look out the window."

Sure enough, snow was falling. Sofia hugged herself tightly.

"What's the date? What's going on?" She whispered.

Riddle only answered her with a sigh and wrapped his arms around her waist. She leaned as far away from him as physically possible, but his grip was strong.

_Don't touch me. _She thought.

"I thought you were getting better," Riddle whispered in her ear. "Just when you got out of St. Mungo's."

Sofia yanked herself out of his grip. "Liar! I was never at St. Mungos! Why can't I remember anything? What did you do to me?"

"Is everything all right?" A man's voice asked from behind Riddle.

Sofia could see an outline, but it was too dark to see his face.

_I know that voice. _She thought.

"Yes. She's having a bad night is all." Riddle said a bit testily.

"Do you want me to get another potion?" The man's voice asked.

_Why does that voice sound so familiar?_ She thought.

"Yes," Riddle answered.

The man vanished back down the hall into one of the spare rooms.

An image of a boy with a scar popped into her head. Flashes of a battle. Hogwarts. Memories she had forgotten came back.

"I attended Hogwarts after they defeated you. I learned of it in school." Sofia said, shaking her head.

Tom Riddle took a step closer.

"You're dead! This isn't possible." Sofia's voice shook.

Riddle's voice dripped with harshness, "Now, now my love. If you keep talking nonsense like that, I'll have to put you in St. Mungo's."

Voldemort looked to be about her age. The pictures of him in the books had been twisted and monstrous. He now looked like the handsome Tom Riddle from his youth. He stood watching her with a smirk on his face.

Then the memory of the voice clicked. An image of a man in a frame in the headmaster's office of Hogwarts looked down at her with a scowl.

The voice belonged to Severus Snape.

Snape returned holding up the potion.

"Come into the light," Sofia said.

A boy of about 16 with black greasy hair lit up his wand and stepped forward.

Sofia's eyes widened. "What year is this?"

"Give her the potion," Riddle demanded. "Careful, don't let her choke."

Sofia tried to run but didn't get very far.

"Stupefy." Snape's voice rang out.

Sofia collapsed and hit the ground. Young Severus Snape squatted down and lifted her limp head and poured the potion down her throat.

Sofia glared with hate at Riddle.

_You changed it. I don't know how, but you changed history. I'm going to kill you. I promise you that. _Sofia thought at Riddle.

The last thing Sofia saw before sleep took her was Riddle's smile widening. Everything went black as she heard him chuckle.


	3. 03: The Butterfly Effect

**Edited on 5/30/20.**

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**03 - The Butterfly Effect**

**_Department Of Mysteries  
The Veil Room  
1996_**

Everyone that passed through the veil died, that's what everyone said anyways. How would anyone even know that if no one was ever seen again? Sirius Black found himself falling helplessly backward.

His instinct was to catch himself, but Belatrix had stunned him. Her cackling filled the air and he turned his gaze to try to catch Harry's face for one last look. Everything went black.

It felt like he was floating in a void of nothingness, then he was falling through a tunnel. He could move again, but it did little good as he fell helplessly. The tunnel looked like it was made of a thick gray cloud that winded and twisted through empty space. He tried to scream, but couldn't actually tell if anything came out of his mouth.

What was happening? What was this? What was going on? He couldn't grasp any memories of what happened before the tunnel. Finally, darkness once again enveloped him and the tunnel was gone.

The void gave way to water and ice that seemed to float above him. Was he in an ocean? His mind was numb as he swam upwards towards the light but did not quite make it.

**_Unknown_**

"Get a hold of him!" A gruff voice commanded.

"I got him." Another voice added.

Sirius Black went from feeling nothing to everything. The sound of rushing water came first then he opened his eyes as the bitter cold set in. He found himself being hauled up by two men and thrown onto the metal deck of a large steel ship.

Shivering, he went into a fetal position as the man barked orders for dry clothing and a doctor. Survival at the moment was the only important thing that mattered. He was clutching something that he didn't want to let go of, but his mind couldn't grasp what it was. Sirius blacked out again, but only for a moment as he was in a cabin, thrown onto a flimsy mattress on a white metal frame. He was in new clothing as they were just finishing putting a shirt on him.

Sirius groaned suddenly feeling too hot and tried to remove his clothing. "Too hot, it's too hot."

"No, no, no, no!" An older man shouted.

Sirius struggled against someone, as he felt his body temperature rise. He groaned again, burning up.

"Sir listen to me, you are not too hot, you just think you are. You are actually freezing to death. You have hypothermia." The second younger man said.

"Do we have any sedatives?" The older man asked.

The younger officer shook his head and punched Sirius in the face, stunning him.

"That will work." The older man said.

"Let's hope he lives through the night." The younger man said.

"Where are those blankets?" The older man demanded.

Sirius blacked out again.

Everything had calmed down when he woke up. Sirius took in his surroundings. The room was sparse, with just a small table, a dresser, and a bed. He tried to sit up but was restrained as his right wrist was handcuffed to the metal bed rail above him. Besides the awkward handcuffs, Sirius felt warm and stable. He looked around as the door opened.

"Well look who's awake." The man said, leaning against the door frame.

The man wore a uniform Sirius didn't recognize. "Where am I?"

The young man tilted his head slightly. "Oh, a British accent. You've been in and out of it a couple of days now. We weren't sure you were going to make it. You nearly died of hypothermia. I'm Lieutenant Davis. What's your name?"

The only thing Sirius could remember was that weird tunnel and being dropped in the ocean. He shook his head. "I'm sorry. I don't remember anything. I don't even remember my name."

"Must be the trauma. Sorry about the handcuffs. You were trying to tear your clothes off. It's quite common for people who are freezing to death to think they are burning up. You were lucky Ensign Brown happen to see you." Davis said.

"Well, thank you for saving me," Sirius said.

Davis nodded taking a key from his pocket. "You promise to behave yourself if I remove those?"

Sirius nodded and Davis removed the handcuffs.

Davis went over to the dresser and pulled out Sirius's wand. "This is all you had on you when we pulled you from the water. Not sure what it is, but you were gasping it as if your life depended on it."

Sirius frowned as Davis handed it to him. He turned it over, examining it and shrugged. "I don't know. Memento perhaps?"

"You hungry? Can you walk?" Davis asked.

Sirius nodded again as Davis smiled. "Come with me to the chow hall."

"Here." Davis handed Sirius a coat from the dresser.

They left the small cabin and Sirius followed Davis outside along a corridor. They walked inside a crowded room where everyone was eating. "Captain wants to see you first."

Sirius simply followed him to a separate room with three people. Davis arrived and saluted the man. "Captain Anderson sir. This is the man we rescued."

"At ease." The captain said.

Davis relaxed as the captain rose and shook Sirius's hand. "I heard you had quite the ordeal. Are you feeling better?"

"Yes thank you. I'm sorry to say I have no memory of anything before this." Sirius told him. "I'm sorry where am I?"

The captain sat back down and put some steak in his mouth before answering. "You are on the United States Navy ship the _Amanda_. I take it by your accent you are from Britain.

Sirus nodded. "I don't remember, probably."

The captain continued, "The problem is we will be sailing to America after our current mission. You have two choices. We can drop you off when we arrive in New York or we can sail you back to England which will take about six more months. We can use the extra hands if you don't mind keeping busy."

"England will be fine. I don't mind helping out." Sirius said.

"Welcome aboard." The captain said.

"Thank you," Sirius said.

The man seated next to the captain spoke up, "Hi, I'm Commander Jensen. This is the doctor that attended you."

Sirius nodded at both men. "Nice to meet you."

"Your memory must be affected by shock. I'm sure it will return in time. I'll want to examine you again later." The doctor said.

"Certainly. Thank you." Sirius replied.

Sirius ate lunch with Davis and his friends at one of the tables. They were having fun trying to give him a new name since he couldn't remember his own.

"How about Carl or Jim?" Someone suggested.

They all laughed at Sirius's reaction as he pulled a face and shook his head.

"How about Spike?" One guy said.

All the men looked at him as if he was insane.

"Spike?" Davis asked.

"It's a good nickname." He argued.

"I have a dog named Spike." Another man said.

Sirius choked on his food laughing.

In the end, he chose the name, David. It didn't sound right, but he had to go by something in the meantime.

"You know all the fellas are wondering how you got to the middle of the ocean. There are no other ships nearby. How do you think you got out there?" An ensign asked.

Sirius took another bite of some rationed potatoes and shrugged. He wasn't about to tell them about the tunnel. "It's a mystery to me as is it is to you."

The months went by as the Amanda finally docked in London port. Sirius smiled at his new friends who were seeing him off.

"Got your lucky stick?" Davis asked with a smile.

Sirius took it out and smiled. "The only clue I have to where I came from."

Davis sighed and pulled out some money handing it to Sirius.

"Oh no. I couldn't," Sirius protested.

"The boys all pitched it. It's just enough to get you through a week. The dock is hiring temporarily if you need more cash. Take it." Davis said.

Sirius took it with a nod. "It's appreciated."

"We're going to miss you, David. You going to be okay out there?" Davis asked.

Sirius nodded and shook hands with all his friends. He turned and gave a final wave as he watched the ship sail away.

Sirius got a few odd jobs on the dock where he saved up as much money as he could. He slowly headed north, making his way through a few towns.

He had just come to a small village when he heard a small scream.

"You little freak." An older teen snarled.

Three older teenage boys were chasing after a little girl. The young man grabbed the girl by the collar and drew back his fist about to strike. Sirius ran, yanked the boy back and punched him right in the nose before he could hurt her. The boy fell on his back surprised. The two young men with him took a few steps back at their new source of trouble.

"Get out of here!" Sirius shouted.

The boy stumbled getting up, turned, and ran off with his friends just behind him.

Sirius looked behind him at a young girl of around 5 or 6 years old who was staring at him wide-eyed. He kneeled down next to her.

"Are you okay? You hurt?" Sirius asked.

The girl broke into a wide toothy grin and threw her arms around him. Sirius hugged her back awkwardly, not used to the affection. Finally, she broke away looking him up and down.

"You're like me." She said.

"What?" Sirius asked.

She bit her lip and pointed to Sirius's wand he had been holding onto. He noticed she had one similar. "Um yeah."

She took him by the hand and began pulling him along.

"Where are we going?" He asked.

"Home." She said simply.

He grinned as she led him, smiling back at him with her toothy grin. He supposed he had to see she got home okay. He wondered where her family had been. What would have happened to her if he hadn't arrived?

She led him to a small home, pulling him inside. A shared kitchen and dining room opened up as they entered. A woman stood at the counter, preparing some vegetables. A man was next to her leaning against the counter. Two young boys, a few years older than the girl were chasing each other around the room.

They all turned as they entered, everyone's eyes on the stranger. Sirius wasn't sure what to say.

"There you are. Where were you, we were starting to worry." The father said and hugged the little girl to him.

She pointed to Sirius, "He saved me."

The father looked at Sirius curiously.

"There were three older men who were about to attack her. I chased them off though, don't worry. I doubt they will be of any more trouble. Gave one a good punch in the nose." Sirius smiled.

The man looked at him a moment, taking him in and came up to him and took him by the hand. "Well sir, you have my gratitude."

"It's no problem. I'm just glad I was there before anything happened." Sirius said.

The man sighed, taking the wand the girl had from her. "You are not supposed to be playing with Daddy's wand."

Wand? The name sounded familiar to Sirius.

"I'm Percival. This is my wife Kendra." He introduced.

"I'm David," Sirius said, shaking their hands.

"Are you hungry you should at least stay for dinner. It's the least we can do to say thanks." Kendra said.

"I don't want to be a burden," Sirius said.

"No, it's fine. I insist," Percival said.

"Thank you," Sirius said, taking a seat as Percival sat next to him.

"Boys, stop running around the house and set the table!" Kendra shouted.

"You from around here? You don't look familiar," Percival asked.

"I'm just passing through," Sirius said.

The two boys finished setting the table and sat down. Sirius sucked in a breath of surprise as Kendra waved her wand and the food floated to the table. He pulled out his own wand and looked it over thoughtfully.

"Where are you from?" Kendra asked

"I'm sorry, I don't remember my past. This is the only thing I had on me as a clue to who I was." Sirius said.

"Well, we can help you out with that if you like. Where are you staying tonight?" Percival asked.

"I was going to find an inn," Sirius said.

Percival chuckled, "Oh you won't find anything like that in this village. Why don't you just stay with us for tonight?"

"You sure that's okay?" Sirius asked.

"Sure. You did save my daughter after all." Percival said.

"Thank you," Sirius replied.

One of the boys spoke up with a mouth full of food. "I'm going to be going to Hogwarts in two years."

"What's Hogwarts? I'm sorry there are a lot of things I don't seem to remember." Sirius said.

"No, it's fine. Hogwarts is a school for young boys and girls to learn magic." Percival said.

"You sure this guy is a wizard? He acts like a muggle." One of the boys said.

"Don't be a rude young man. You were supposed to be looking after your sister by the way." Kendra scolded.

"I'm sorry, let me introduce the rest of my family." Percival said, "My daughter is Ariana. My two sons are Aberforth and the rude one is Albus. We're the Dumbledore family."

Sirius smiled, "Well, it's lovely to meet all of you."

For the first time in a while, Sirius felt at home.


	4. 04: An Unexpected Trip

**Edited on 5/30/20.**

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**Chapter Four: An Unexpected Trip**

Five-year-old Sophia looked up at her older brother as tears escaped noisily. The hideous tragedy that was her lunch threatened to tip over. Her brother laughed heartily.

"All right, just eat one more bite and you're done," Newt said.

Sofia instantly stopped crying. She looked at her bowl of cold peas considering her brother's offer. She took a bite and happily tossed the rest aside. She gave her brother a toothy grin and threw her arms around him.

Newt made a face, peeling the girl off of him, making a face at his sister. "Cut it out or I'll give you a smack."

"Where's dad? He's supposed to be home this Christmas. He promised." Sofia frowned.

Newt got up, washing Sofia's dish in the sink. "He's working at the ministry, like usual."

Sofia felt something dropped on her head. She smiled at the straw hat with a white ribbon around it. "Merry Christmas."

"I have something for you too." Sofia rushed over to the chest of drawers and ran back with a thick, balled-up newspaper.

Newt cocked an eyebrow at the poor wrapping but smiled and unwrapped a knitted present.

"It's my first time knitting." Sofia pointed to herself proudly.

Newt smirked, holding up a long blue scarf with several holes. "I can tell. Thank you."

Sofia's face fell, deep in thought. "What am I going to do when you go to Hogwarts next year?"

Sofia's eyes bolted open from her bed, sucking in her breath at the old memory of her brother as she awoke from the dream. She glanced outside, it was still snowing just as it had been in her old memory. His answer was still fresh in her mind.

"Well, you'll just have to survive without me won't you?" Newt's faded voice echoed in her mind.

Sofia sat up, wiping at her face, and scolded herself. "Stop it."

Snape came bursting through her door, startling Sofia. "You better hurry up and start packing unless you're staying here."

She turned and stared at him. "Where?"

"What are you doing still in bed?" He demanded.

Sofia pulled up the covers, realizing she was still in her nightgown. "Where would we possibly be going?"

"Hogwarts." He answered.

Sofia stared at him like he'd grown a second head. "Why?"

Now it was his turn to look confused. "Because Christmas break is over and we don't want to miss the train."

"I already graduated from Hogwarts," Sofia argued.

"Very funny, now hurry up and get dressed or you can explain to Riddle why you slept in and didn't pack his things."

"Wait, Riddle hasn't graduated from school yet?" Sofia asked.

Severus rolled his eyes and closed the door.

"Doesn't anyone around here give straight answers?" She muttered, getting out of bed. She hurried out of her nightgown and slipped into some clothes and a black robe Riddle had given her.

It had been a week since she tried to escape. She wondered why Riddle hadn't done anything to punish her for running away.

Sofia opened Riddle's door to check on him but he was already up and gone. She packed what she could find and set it by the door. Her stomach growled so she went to the kitchen to make an early breakfast. She stopped, her mouth open as a house-elf was making eggs. He didn't have the usual battered clothing of a normal house elf. He wore a pair of khaki shorts, no shirt, and a white kitchen apron with roses tied around his waist.

"Who the heck are you?" She asked.

The house-elf gave her a once over and grunted.

"Lazybones." He muttered, then turned and spit into the sink.

Sofia made a disgusted face and grabbed a loaf of bread and began making toast. She sat down at the table watching the house-elf warily. "So you have a name?"

"Skull." He said in a rough voice.

Sofia burst out laughing.

To her surprise the house-elf turned and glared at her, silencing Sofia. He then went back to scrambling the eggs.

"Sorry, it's a lovely name. You um, always make breakfast?" Sofia asked.

"Who do you think has been feeding you all week?" Skull asked.

Sofia nodded while the house-elf put the eggs on a plate and held it out to her.

"Oh, no thanks." She declined.

Sofia's eyes doubled in size as Skull slammed the plate on the floor shattering it. Pieces of egg and glass went everywhere. He then turned and flipped off Sofia before vanishing.

Sofia was still recovering when Riddle came in. He spotted her at the table and nodded towards the door. "Let's go."

She grabbed his luggage, not having much to pack for herself. She had thrown it all into Riddle's suitcase and followed him out the door. Riddle didn't mention the eggs so she didn't say anything either.

"So where's Snape?" Sofia asked.

"He should be at the train station," Riddle said.

They arrived and Riddle boarded without looking back. Sofia followed him into an empty compartment and put the luggage on the shelf above them.

Riddle was reading The Daily Prophet and Sofia leaned over, peeking at one of the articles.

_The Future of Muggles Muggles have never worked outside of their given space since the end of the war with Grindewald. Is the Pit really a fair place for muggles to..._

Riddle saw Sofia reading and put away the newspaper, then put his head back and went to sleep.

The train pulled up to the station and came to a stop. They arrived at Hogwarts. Sofia wondered if most students had stayed at school as the train was half empty. Sofia trailed behind, dragging the wheeled luggage, wondering what the Pit was.

"Come on," Riddle said.

Sofia snapped out of her small trance and hurried after Riddle who got into the first carriage. She struggled with the luggage, pulling it up next to them.

An even bigger surprise awaited them at the gates. An angry crowd of wizards and witches shouted and cursed.

Sofia looked out the window, wondering what all the commotion was about.

"Go back home, you filthy mudblood traitor!" A witch spit right in Sofia's face. She jerked back as if scalded, wiping at the foreign saliva.

The crowd seemed to become even more riled up as they began pounding at the carriages, trying to push them over.

Riddle moved past Sofia and stepped outside causing the crowd to take a step back.

"Are we going to have a problem?" He shouted at them.

They all seemed angry but terrified of Riddle even more as they began to back away.

"Unless you'd like a one way trip to the Pit." Riddle finished with a smirk.

The crowd quieted down and backed away even farther as others apparated out of sight.

What in the world had that been about? Since when did Hogwarts have witch and wizard protesters?

Keeping her questions to herself and her head down, she followed Riddle inside.

"Leave it at the door," Riddle said.

She left the luggage as instructed and followed Riddle into the Great Hall. She looked around, taking in a very different Hogwarts than the one she remembered.

At least 75% of the students were missing. The familiar flags of Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw were gone. The four animals now shared one flag, one animal in each corner with a border around it. The flag had lifeless colors of black and gray. On one side read Hogwarts in reflective grey letters. On the other side read pure-blood, leaving a sick feeling in the pit of Sofia's stomach.

Several students sat scattered around while some stood against the walls to the side. Sofia started to sit down when Riddle caught her eye and shook his head in a firm no. She sighed and stood back up against the wall. Riddle sat upfront with the other professors.

Don't tell me Riddle teaches magic here, Sofia thought.

Professor Dumbledore should be here. She looked at the various teachers, though some seemed to be missing. None of them looked familiar. Dumbledore must be late or busy?

After a few minutes, Riddle stood up and went to the podium. The room went instantly quiet.

"I hope everyone had an eventful Christmas break," Riddle said.

Sofia's mouth formed an O of surprise.

Wait, was Tom Riddle the Headmaster of Hogwarts?


	5. 05: Everything You Thought You Knew pt 1

**Edited on 5/30/20.**

* * *

**05 - Everything You Thought You Knew, Part 1**

**Little Hangleton, England **  
**December 24th, 1924**

Merope Gaunt shivered as the cold bit through her thin, torn robe. She hid in the thick brush looking through a window of the Riddle house. She hadn't intended to get this close to the Riddle house. Before she knew it, she slipped through the gates, her curiosity had won out.

What was Christmas like for a wealthy family like theirs? The only thing she had gotten was a beating for asking. Did the Riddle family sing Christmas carols together? Hundreds of presents sat under the biggest tree in the village. She could imagine them all wrapped in gold paper with huge bows.

Merope's mind wandered as a small smile revealed her thoughts. Thomas Riddle would find her, wondering what she was doing. Then, as it was Christmas, he would take pity on her and invite her inside where it was warm, offering her a cup of hot cocoa. The family would even like her. They would tell her she was nicer than all those shallow girls that only cared about money.

The sound of a door slammed open, hitting the opposite wall. Thomas and his father stormed outside, both shouting at the other.

"Of course the funds have decreased, your incompetence saw to that!" Thomas's father shouted at his son's back.

Thomas spun around, his face distorted in fury. "Oh please! Your senility is to blame for the loss. Your getting old father. You should have left the family business to me years ago."

"If I left it to you we would have gone broke by now! Don't even think of buying me out. I've made investments so unless I allow it, you will never see a dime. Believe me, I don't plan on retiring any time soon either!"

Thomas shook his head and headed towards the stables.

"Where are you going this time of night?" His father demanded.

"I'm going for a ride if you don't think it will ruin our family reputation," Thomas answered. He turned his back on his father and ignored the insults being shout from behind.

Merope covered her mouth and shrank further into the brush. Thomas passed her without noticing her. She found herself alone as his father slammed the door and headed back inside. Thomas rode off into the night leaving Merope in shock.

When all was clear, Merope made her way back home, her thoughts on the Riddle household. Was Thomas as unhappy as she was? They were more alike than she realized. The sound of shouting from the park drew her attention as several wizards apparated.

"Spread out. You know what to do. Round them up as instructed, if any muggles give you trouble, kill them." A male wizard with brown hair shouted.

A blonde-haired witch saw Merope walking and whispered something to the other wizard. He nodded and the witch started toward her. A terrified muggle slammed into the witch from behind attempting to escape. She turned and went after him, forgetting Merope.

Merope froze for a moment, wondering what was happening. Wizards everywhere were firing at muggles who had come running out of their houses. Green lights ended several lives that night as confused muggles tried to either fight or run. A few captured muggles stood terrified as a wizard had his wand trained on the group. Chaos had erupted everywhere. The silent night became a living nightmare for muggles everywhere that Christmas eve.

A light shone through the Riddle house as a wizard killed Thomas Riddle's father. A woman ran out and towards the gate, heading right towards Merope in terror. A wizard followed her out of the house and raised his wand at his next victim.

Thomas Riddle was beside her on his horse, demanding answers she couldn't give. "What's going on?"

"Thomas," Merope whispered.

A beam of green light hit Mrs. Riddle in the back as Thomas watched his mother fall dead in front of him. Before he could shout or be seen, Merope pulled Thomas off his horse and apparated him to a cellar under her house. It was dark, with a stone floor and walls, leaving enough room for about three people. Small wooden crates took up a third of the space as the cellar had been used to smuggle dark magic artifacts.

Thomas Riddle shrank back against the farthest wall as possible. He watched Merope in terror his mouth ajar in a scream that never emerged.

Both looked at each other in silence.

Something told Merope, the muggle world would never be the same.


	6. 06: Professor Dumbledore

_**Note to Readers: **_**In case of any confusion, Severus Snape is a teenager.  
**

* * *

**Chapter 06: Professor Dumbledore**

Sofia glared at Riddle's back as he led her to a large bedroom, she guessed it was his.

"Where exactly am I supposed to sleep?" She demanded.

He led her to an adjacent empty room with double wooden doors and opened them both. Riddle waved his wand and a mattress appeared on the floor with a pillow and green blanket.

"Inside." He ordered without even looking at her.

Sofia huffed, turning to Riddle and put a hand on her hip. "You know, I'm really getting sick of..."

Before she could finish, Riddle pointed his wand at her. "Petrificus Totalus"

Sofia's body stiffened and fell backward on the mattress as she found herself unable to move. From the corner of her eye, she watched Riddle in the doorway and cursed him under her breath.

Riddle shut her in, enveloping the room in darkness, and locked the door.

The next morning Sofia felt someone nudge her with their foot. She stretched, glad the binding curse had worn off sometime in the night. She moaned, refusing to open her eyes and felt herself drifting off again.

Snape's impatient voice pulled her from her sleep, "get up!"

"Fine." She said.

Severus shoved an apple at her as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes with a frown. "This was all I could manage since you decided to sleep through breakfast."

Sofia opened her mouth to protest that she had been locked in when Snape interrupted her.

"Come on, hurry up. The headmaster is waiting to talk to you."

"You mean Riddle?" She asked.

Snape was already out the door when he turned and looked at her for a moment. "Who else would I be talking about?"

Sofia ate the apple on the way, wishing for pancakes, eggs, and bacon. She had managed to eat a small bowl of soup when the leftovers had vanished.

They passed several students, all rushing to get to class. Sofia slowed her pace as she spotted four boys standing around chatting in the hall. One of them had a mischievous smirk. He looked familiar, yet she couldn't place him. He had brown hair and glasses. He stopped talking when he spotted her starring at him and his smirk grew more devilish as he spotted Snape.

Sofia slammed into the back of Severus, not realizing he had stopped.

"Hurry up!" He hissed, then quickened his pace.

"Hey!" The boy with a smirk called out.

Sofia looked to Snape who had turned a corner and disappeared without waiting for her. She glanced over the mischievous boy, wondering what he wanted. One was a little taller with dark hair. Another was lean and tired looking. The last one was a short, slow looking boy who was glancing at her with an odd smile on his face.

"Yeah?" She asked.

The boy with the glasses walked over to her with his friends in tow. "What are you doing following Snivellus around?"

Sofia frowned at the name. "You mean Snape? I didn't have a choice, he's taking me to see the headmaster."

"I haven't seen you around before. New student?" He asked.

Sofia shook her head, not sure how to explain her situation. He interrupted her thoughts and asked another question.

"Pureblood?"

Sofia hesitated before answering. "No."

"You must be a claimed half-blood then." He said.

The tall dark-haired boy spoke up. "The headmaster's finally claimed a witch for himself. That's a first. You think Riddle's done the binding ceremony with her yet?"

All four boys burst out laughing.

Sofia frowned at the unfamiliar terms. "I'm sorry, who are you?"

"I'm James Potter. This is Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew."

"Potter?" She shouted. So that's why this boy looked familiar. He must be the father of Harry Potter. James smirk grew arrogant. He must have assumed she was a fan of his or something.

Sofia decided to lie about her last name. "I'm Sofia Coleman. I'm sorry, what does it mean to be claimed?"

James looked at her in surprise. If he despised anyone who wasn't pureblood he didn't show it.

"Are you muggle-born?" He asked.

"She can't be, it would be illegal for her to be here," Sirius spoke up.

"Not with Riddle in charge," Lupin said.

"My father was a wizard," Sofia said.

James looked her over as if trying to figure her out. "Most purebloods run the magic world. Half-blood wizards and witches still need a Hogwarts education. So they need permission from a pureblood wizard to go to school. If they can't find a job, they can work in the magic designated muggle work areas."

"Wait a second." She interrupted him, "Magic designated work areas? You make it sound like the magic world controls all muggles."

James didn't look happy as he answered. "I'm not sure why this is unfamiliar to you. The magic world has ruled the lives of muggles since Grindewald came to power."

Sofia's eyes widened. "What's the date today?"

James smirked again at her question. "September 2nd."

"No, I mean the year."

James looked over at Sirius who shrugged. "It's 1976."

Sofia's face fell and her mouth dropped open. So, she did time travel. Why? She needed more answers, though she knew Riddle wouldn't give any.

"So claimed is what?" Sofia asked.

James looked irritated as he answered. "One of the highest _honors_ a half-blood, muggle-born, or even a muggle can get is to be a servant to a pureblood. It's a despised job."

Sofia remembered her original timeline. From her history books, Voldemort was a half-blood. Sofia decided to keep that bit to herself until she got more information. She realized it was late and turned and rushed down the hall.

"Thanks, Potter. I have to go." She called over her shoulder.

Sofia was glad she remembered the way to Professor McGonagall's old office. She wasn't here either. Why was this timeline so different? What did Riddle change? She arrived at the spiral stairs. They didn't need a spell to go up, but the door was locked. She knocked and Snape opened the door with a sneer.

"You're late," Snape said.

Snape stepped aside as Sofia entered Riddle's office. Riddle stood in the center of the room with his hands behind his back looking unhappy. "Glad you decided to finally join us. Where have you been?"

"Sorry, I'm late. I was chatting with some students."

Riddle turned and took a rolled-up scroll off a large desk behind him. He held it out to Sofia who took it from him.

"This is a pass to the entire school. You can go anywhere with this. If someone gives you any trouble, show them this. Just don't leave school grounds. That's all." Riddle said.

Sofia nodded looking it over. It was a signed note giving her permission to walk about the castle and even attend lessons if she desired.

"Hey, are we doing the binding ceremony?" Sofia asked.

Riddle didn't answer, though he looked taken aback. His expressions were hard to read as it was. Snape held his head in his hand, shaking it back and forth.

"No," Riddle answered.

Sofia started to leave.

"Oh, and Sofia," Riddle called out.

She stopped and looked over at him.

"Don't make me have to come looking for you next time," Riddle warned.

She nodded at his warning and rushed out. Snape shoved past her, knocking her aside.

"Were you born under a rock?" Snape hissed.

"Excuse me?" Sofia said.

"Are we doing the binding ceremony?" Snape asked with a mocking tone.

"What's a binding ceremony? James Potter mentioned it."

Snape sneered at her again. "Like he'd ever tell you."

Sofia watched Snape take off without any answers. She spent a few class periods wandering the castle. It was mostly the same layout it always was, it even had the same school ghosts. All that was missing was the familiar colors. All purebloods had their own rooms, The rest had to share.

On the way downstairs, Sofia spotted James and Sirius on the 2nd floor.

"I forgot to take my book back to Professor Dumbledore. I don't have time though. I'll just give it back tomorrow." James said.

Sofia felt her mood lift at the sound of a familiar name. "I'll take it for you."

"Oh hey," James said. He handed her the book.

"No problem. Defense against the dark arts?" She asked.

"Yep," James answered. He and Sirius turned to leave.

"Hey, Potter," Sofia called out.

He turned to see what she wanted.

"What exactly is the binding ceremony? I asked Riddle and he had a strange look on his face." Sofia said.

James and Sirius burst out laughing. He finally calmed down and turned to Sofia as if to reveal the punchline of a joke.

"Think... dark magic wedding ceremony," Potter said.

Sofia's stomach dropped. "Oh."

James and Sirius burst out laughing again at her expression. Sofia rushed off, feeling her face go red.

Sofia ran as she got to Dumbledore's office. The one face that would be familiar to her. Even though she never met him, he would be the one person she could count on. She knocked once and hurried inside.

The sight of a woman at the desk made Sofia pause. Did she have the right room? The woman looked up with a smile.

"Can I help you?" She asked.

"I'm sorry. I was looking for Professor Dumbledore. I'm returning a book for James Potter." Sofia said.

"Oh, Yes." The woman said.

"What?" Sofia asked.

Both looked at each other before the woman smiled and headed over to Sofia.

"I'm Professor Dumbledore. I'll take that." She said.

Sofia only stared at the woman.

"Are you all right?" She asked.

Sofia pushed down tears of disappointment threatening to well up. "What's your first name?"

"I'm Ariana Dumbledore." She explained.

"I thought Albus Dumbledore was teaching here," Sofia said.

That made Ariana laugh. "Why on earth would Albus Dumbledore be doing teaching at Hogwarts?"

Sofia stood there in shock. Albus Dumbledore's sister Ariana was supposed to be dead. How was this possible? Ariana took the book with an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry, I have to get back to grading papers," Ariana said.

Sofia nodded and left feeling dazed.

Where was Albus Dumbledore?


	7. 07: Dark Encounter

**Chapter 7: Dark Encounter**

_**Note to Readers: **_**  
This chapter includes sexual assault and might be too sensitive for some readers.  
Chapter Rating: PG-13.**

Sofia had been exploring the castle during her free time. She could attend classes if she stood in the back of the room with the other so-called claimed. The thought made her ill. Everything was too different. She had no interest in classes since she already graduated from Hogwarts in her time.

She had forgotten the time and was most likely going to miss dinner. She took a shortcut leading to another floor. She knew this shortcut, she had taken it every day to get to her own classes. The hallway lights went out leaving Sofia in darkness. What happened to the lights? She reached for her wand out of habit but remembered she didn't have one.

"Stupid Riddle." She complained.

She remembered Riddle's warning about being late and rolled her eyes. Sofia took a deep breath and felt along the walls. No point in turning back now if she wanted to return in time. She was halfway to the end of the hall when a voice cut through the darkness.

"Lumos."

Sofia spun around, "Who's there?"

"You look like you could use a light. I'm Peter."

Sofia recognized the voice. "Pettigrew?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. You remember me?" He asked.

Peter rushed along the hall to catch up with her. The odd boy who kept staring at her with that weird smile. Sofia didn't need a companion but didn't want to be rude.

"Why aren't you at dinner?" Sofia asked.

"I already ate."

Sofia couldn't think of anything to talk about. If she could get out of this dark hallway, she'd feel better. The whole vibe was giving her the creeps. Peter laughed. Sofia looked at him again and he was giving her the disturbing smile.

"You're a pretty girl." He said.

_Get lost._ She wanted to shout. She quickened her pace and he matched to keep up.

"Too bad your already claimed. If you belonged to me, things would be different." He said.

Sofia came to a stop. "I don't _belong_ to anyone!"

Pettigrew moved in front of her.

"True, true. You seem like the independent type." Peter said. He ran an index finger down her arm with a giggle.

Sofia needed to get away from this creep. She tried to move around but he blocked her path. With every attempt, he laughed and blocked her again.

Sofia shoved him hard. "Get _away_ from me!"

Pettigrew looked surprised and held his hands up, taking a few steps back. Sofia thought about running in the opposite direction.

As if reading her mind, Peter flicked his wand. "Nox."

Darkness enveloped the hallway. Sofia braced herself for whatever she might have to fight off. Instead, Peter cast another spell.

"Immobulus."

Peter's spell hit her in the chest. The room lit up enough to see him rushing at her. He shoved her as she fell backward.

"Lumos," Peter said.

She had no choice but to watch, unable to move, unable to stop him as Peter climbed on top of her. He placed his wand on the floor beside him.

Peter took one of her arms, moving it to the side. "Look at that, I can pose you like a little doll."

Sofia's heart beat faster as a tear escaped down her cheek. Peter moved his hand under robe and leaned in close to her face, breathing in her scent.

Peter's words tumbled out as if it might excuse what he was trying to do. "I have to do this. I have to do this. It's not even my choice you see. It was an order. I have to obey."

Order? Who would put Pettigrew up to this? The school was all purebloods, and most hated the half-bloods. It could be anyone. Her logic failed her. All she wanted to do was get away from Pettigrew. Instead, she lay there powerless.

Sofia didn't hear the spell, but Peter shot backward through the air and landed with a thud.

Tom Riddle stormed past her. Even though the room was only lit by Peter's wand, she saw the fury in his eyes. Tom Riddle cast two unspoken spells. With one flick of his wand, she could move again. With a second flick, the room was lit up and back to normal.

Sofia sat up and straightened her robe.

Tom Riddle pointed his wand at Peter Pettigrew. The boy shrank into a small ball, covering his head and peeked out with a whimper.

Sofia had never been so glad to see Riddle in her life.

"Accio wand," Riddle said.

Peter's wand moved through the air and landed in Riddle's palm. The snap of Pettigrew's wand echoed through the hallway. Peter cringed at the sound.

"You're expelled," Riddle said.

Riddle turned and looked at Sofia. "Do you need to go to the nurse?"

Sofia shook her head. "He never got that far."

Riddle spoke down at Pettigrew's small form. "Peter Pettigrew. You will return to your room until tomorrow morning. At breakfast, I will announce your expulsion to the entire school. If I find you left your room or have spoken to anyone, I will send you to Azkaban."

Sofia wiped at her cheeks and looked at Peter. Something rose up inside her, tearing and ripping it's way to the surface. She found herself creeping towards Peter, her hands curled into claws. She wanted to rip his eyes out. Before she knew it she lunged at Pettigrew with an animal sound.

"No!" Riddle called out.

Riddle grabbed Sofia from behind as she struggled to hurt Peter. He grabbed her hands, pinning them against her chest. Hot tears escaped as she collapsed to the floor and sobbed on the ground. Riddle held her as her fingernails dug into his flesh.

"Go." He ordered Peter.

Peter Pettigrew ran off down the hall and disappeared.

Riddle waited for Sofia to calm down and finally let go of her. She looked up at him and he stood there with his hands on his hips. She got back up and they stood there looking at each other for a moment.

Finally, Riddle spoke. "You're late."

Sofia blinked at him and nodded. "How did you find me?"

"Let's just say I have a way of tracking you," Riddle said.

For the first time, she didn't hate Tom Riddle.

Riddle motioned for her to follow. They were quiet as he escorted her back to her room.


	8. 08: Everything You Thought You Knew pt 2

**Chapter 8: Everything You Thought You Knew, pt 2  
**

**Little Hangleton, England **  
**June 5th, 1925**

Thomas Riddle glared at Merope Gaunt as she placed more of that revolting excuse for food on the ground. He could barely stomach the stuff. He only ate when he was starving. She sat with that stupid smile on her face watching him. As long as he didn't look directly at her he could be polite. Now he was at his breaking point.

"Will you please stop _staring _at me!" He snapped.

Merope looked down embarrassed. "I.. I'm sorry.

He stole a glance in her direction as she looked genuinely hurt. His mother had been religious but not his father.

_Don't feel sorry for the witch._ He thought.

How he missed his mother. Her lifeless form haunted his mind. She had been killed with magic. What would she say to all this if she were alive? Magic was evil in her mind. _Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. _

Thomas sighed in annoyance as Merope wiped a tear from her face.

He tried reasoning with her. "I've been in this stinking dark hole now for over six months. I can't keep living this way."

"I know, I'm sorry." She said.

Thomas had not wanted to know until now. He had just wanted to escape. "Explain to me what is happening then?" He asked.

"A wizard named Grindelwald has taken over both the Magic and muggle world," Merope explained. She looked at his confused expression and tried to explain. "Um.. muggles being non-magic folk like your kind. I'm still trying to figure out what happened to them all. Newspapers are not reporting much."

"Are they torturing my kind?" Thomas asked.

Merope held up both hands. "No. No, that's not it. I'd have to leave to find out. I'd have to sneak away when my father isn't looking."

"So why don't you?" He asked.

Merope shook her head. "I've never disobeyed him. I've never done anything like that before."

Thomas sank against the wall. "I'm going to die down here."

Merope looked at him for a moment. "Not if I can help it."

Thomas had fallen asleep at some point. He had to ask the witch the time when she visited. There was no window, just a candle that stayed lit with magic. At some point, he had awoken to the sound of shouting from upstairs.

"You know where that filthy muggle Riddle is don't you?" A man's voice shouted.

Thomas rubbed his eyes and sat up. He had often heard him shouting, but it had never been this bad before.

"Answer me!" He shouted again.

The sound of crashing could be heard as she must have hit the far wall. Crashing sounds could be heard as the witch's father shouted at her. He could hear her screaming in pain.

If she had been an ordinary woman, Thomas would have been up there in a heartbeat.

_She's just a witch_. He told himself.

The witch had used magic to prevent her father Marvolo and brother Morfin from hearing them. He wished she had made it so he didn't hear them either. More crashing and hissing sounds echoed downstairs. Thomas screamed into his palms in frustration and covered his ears. After a while, it went silent. He wondered if she was alive. She didn't come down at her usual time. In fact, he didn't see her for a day and a half when she finally brought food.

Merope came in without a word. She avoided looking at Thomas. She set the food down and hurried to leave. Thomas couldn't help but wonder. Her face was covered in bruises, her lip swollen.

"Merope," Thomas called.

The woman froze.

"Are you okay?" Thomas asked.

When she turned to look at him, tears were rolling down her cheeks. Her lips curved into a huge grin and she laughed joyfully.

Thomas looked away again embarrassed. "I was just wondering if you were okay. There's no need for any of that."

"That was the first time you used my name." She smiled.

Thomas had no response.

The next day she came down again.

"I have a plan. If it works, you will be able to leave here and be safe. But, you will have to agree to it or it won't work." Merope said.

If it meant getting out of here, he'd agree to anything. "What's the plan?"

Merope hesitated at first. "It would mean sneaking away from here together and going before the new council. It's called being claimed. It would mean we would have to live together, just in the same house. It would be illegal for anyone to attack you. I don't know where we would live or the details though. We will be risking our lives, but it's as close to living a normal life as you will get."

Thomas was silent for a while. "What has happened to everyone that was taken from here?"

"If anyone has the answers they will. We have to file paperwork. when we arrive." Merope said.

Thomas shrugged. "When do we leave?"

"Now, while everyone is asleep," Merope said.

There was a curfew. Two wizards roamed the area. Merope ducked behind a bush and motioned for Thomas to do the same. If they caught him before they made it to the registry office, she would never see him again. They walked through the small forest away from the road. Clouds covered what little light they had. Merope didn't dare use her wand for light.

"We're almost at the bridge that crosses the river. From there we can walk to London. It should be safer after that." Merope whispered.

They were halfway across the bridge when a wizard suddenly blocked their path.

"Lumos." The wizard said. "Going somewhere?"

Merope and Thomas realized he wasn't alone. Two wizards appeared behind him. Merope turned around as a forth wizard blocked off the opposite end of the bridge. Her father and brother were with him. There was nowhere to run.

"Merope you stupid girl. Do you think you can defy me? You are going to pay for this." Marvolo said.

"Say goodbye to the muggle filth with you. He'll never see the light of day where he is going." Morfin sneered.

"Do you trust me?" Thomas whispered into Merope's ear.

She nodded.

Thomas grabbed Merope by the waist as they both fell from the bridge into the freezing, rushing waters below. They went under quickly and were swept away.

"No!" Marvolo shouted.

They all frantically looked into the river, but no one could find them.

"Find my daughter you good for nothing mud blood." Marvolo hissed.

"We do not work or take orders from you, pureblood or not." The wizard said.

"Find them or I'll make sure you are sent to a place worse than where we planned on sending that muggle filth!" Marvolo threatened.

The wizard glared at Marvolo Gaunt and nodded.

"Let's go." He told the other wizards. "Find them."

Merope coughed, sputtering as water escaped from her lungs. Thomas weakly crawled over to her.

"I'm okay. You?" Merope asked.

Thomas nodded. "We need to move."

He was shivering badly. Merope pulled out her wand.

"Can I use this to dry you off?" She asked.

Thomas nodded. "Thank you for asking first."

With a wave of her wand, they were both dry and warm. Thomas looked himself over and marveled at the magic.

"See? It's not all bad." Merope smiled.

Thomas gave a weak smile back. Merope tried to take in her surroundings.

"I don't know how to get to London from here though." She said.

"It's okay. I know where we are. Come on." Thomas said.

They made it to the city as the sun rose.

A witch behind a desk looked up and smiled as Merope and Thomas walked in.

"Excuse me? Is this the right office to claim someone?" Merope asked.

"Yes, it is. Welcome." The receptionist smiled.

She took out a parchment scroll. "Who is being claimed today?

Thomas cleared his throat. "I am."

"Has it been explained to you what this means?" She asked.

"Yes."

"Did you have any muggle property before this all began?" She asked.

"Yes. Why?" He asked.

"Read this and sign your names below. Add the address of the muggle or half-blood here."

As Merope was signing, a furious voice called her name.

"Merope! Do you think you can escape from me? I'll kill this muggle right here." Marvolo shouted.

Merope's eyes widened as her father and brother stood there with their wands drawn.

"What is going on here?" The receptionist asked.

"Stupefy," Morfin said.

The stunning spell hit the receptionist who went down quickly. Merope and Thomas were alone.

"Now for you." Marvolo threatened.

"What is going on here?" An elderly wizard appeared from the back room.

The receptionist got up whispering to the elderly wizard who just came in. He nodded and walked up behind Merope.

"Excuse me miss. Is the man with you claimed?"

"I just signed the form," Thomas said.

"It is illegal for any wizard to attack anyone who has been claimed." The elderly wizard explained.

"Avada Kedavra!" Marvolo pointed his wand at Thomas.

"Expelliarmus!" Merope yelled.

Marvolo and Morfin looked on with wide eyes as their wands flew from their hands. Merope's arm shook as she pointed her wand at her family.

"NEVER AGAIN!" Merope shouted to her father. "NEVER AGAIN! DO YOU HEAR ME?"

There was a brief silence until the elderly wizard spoke up. "Marvolo and Morfin Gaunt. You are both under arrest for assault and attempted murder. You're going to Azkaban."

Two wizards apparated with both Marvolo and Morfin as they all apparated from the room.

Thomas lowered Merope's arm who had been pointing it in the direction of her father and brother. "It's over."

"Excuse me miss?" The receptionist said.

Merope looked up, startled.

"The muggle address you gave has been cleared and has been put under your name. You are both free to leave."

Merope shook her head to clear it. "Did you just say the Riddle mansion is mine?"

"Yes." The receptionist said.

Merope looked shaken as a relieved smile spread across her face.

"Let's go home," Thomas said.


	9. 09: Field Trip

**Chapter 09: Field Trip**

The sound of intense banging woke Sofia. She sat straight up in bed with a frown at the disruption. Someone banged on her door again.

"Get up! It's time for breakfast! Hurry up!" Severus Snape's voice insisted on the other side of her bedroom door.

Sofia grumbled, not caring if she was in her nightgown. She went over and opened the door. "What!? What do you need so badly it requires waking the entire school?"

Snape sneered at her comment. "I have instructions from Riddle to escort you anywhere you need to go until further notice."

"Wonderful," Sofia said.

"Yes, you really look thrilled. Hurry up, I'm not missing breakfast because of you." Severus said.

"Fine," Sofia said.

She started to close the door when Severus blocked it from closing.

"Where are you going?" Snape demanded.

Sofia shoved him out the door. "Do you think I'm going like this?"

She got dressed and hurried to catch up with Snape as he quickened his pace. "So, are you claimed by Riddle then?"

"Don't be stupid." He responded.

"Guess that's a no." She muttered.

They both entered the Great Hall, but Sofia went her own direction. She leaned against a wall with a sigh, waiting her turn as the purebloods finished eating.

"Hey, Sofia! Over here!" James Potter called out.

Sofia went over to Jame's table and hesitated. "I'm not supposed to sit with purebloods."

"It's okay if we invite you," Sirius spoke up.

"Thanks." Sofia sat down and filled her plate with poached eggs, bacon, and toast.

"Hey, what did you do with the map?" James asked.

"I thought you had it," Sirius said.

James looked at Lupin who also shrugged. "Peter must have it."

"Where is Peter anyway?" Lupin asked.

The name made Sofia freeze.

"I'm not sure, I haven't seen him since yesterday in class," James said.

_They don't know yet. _Sofia thought.

The memory of Peter made Sofia lose her appetite.

After breakfast, Riddle stepped up to the podium. "Please remain seated. I have something to discuss with everyone here. It is a matter I take very seriously. This school has always been a place of safety. Yesterday, a young lady was sexually assaulted by a student."

The students began whispering among themselves.

"Quiet! I'm not done yet." Riddle warned.

The room quieted instantly.

"I wonder who got attacked," James said.

"Probably a half-blood or muggle-born," Sirius said.

Sofia didn't respond to them.

Riddle continued talking. "This person has violated school rules and will be expelled in front of all of you. Peter Pettigrew come up here please."

Every head turned as Peter came through the Great Hall doors, looking like a timid, shamed mouse.

Now it was James, Sirius, and Lupin's turn to be surprised.

"What?" Sirius said.

"This has to be a mistake. Peter would never do that." James said.

"Yes, he would!" Sofia snapped.

They all turned to look at Sofia, who looked like a deer caught in the headlights. She turned her gaze away embarrassed.

Peter Pettigrew stepped up on the platform. He didn't have the courage to look Riddle in the eye and surveyed the Great Hall. All eyes were on Peter. Sofia glared as their eyes met but Peter gave no acknowledgment.

"Look at me." Tom Riddle ordered.

Peter looked even more frightened and swallowed a lump in his throat.

Riddle continued. "As of today, you are expelled from Hogwarts."

Peter nodded, looking at the ground and started to walk away.

Riddle's tone lowered to a threatening whisper. "I'm not done yet."

Peter looked surprised, unable to turn from Riddle's gaze.

"I'm sending you to the Pit." Riddle declared.

Several students gasped.

"You've got to be joking?" Sirius exclaimed.

James Potter shook his head. Lupin looked pale.

RIddle crossed his arms as if daring Pettigrew to argue. Pettigrew looked like he was about to faint.

"Sofia." Riddle motioned for her to come to him.

Her face reddened at being summoned in front of everyone. She kept her eyes on Riddle, not wanting to look at Peter.

"We're going on a little trip. I'll be taking Peter myself and you're coming with me. I want you to see the Pit yourself. Hold on." Riddle said.

Sofia nodded and put her hands around Riddle's arm. All three apparated together and reappeared in a dimly lit warehouse. The faded brick walls and the chipped concrete floor gave the place an old feel. Various people were carrying heavy stone and large bags from one room to another. It reminded Sofia of construction work. It didn't appear to have any purpose other than punishment. One older man with long white hair and shirtless walked past her with a heavy beam balanced on his shoulder. A mezzanine surrounded the entire floor above them. One wizard surveyed from above and walked out to another room.

Tom motioned for a nearby wizard to come over. "I have a new worker for you."

"Ah yes, let's go in my office for processing." The wizard said.

"Jensen?" The wizard called.

A witch appeared and put a metal cuff on Peter's arm then walked him out without a word.

"What was that cuff?" Sofia asked.

"Hmm? Oh, that's to prevent any witch or wizard from using magic." He said.

Sofia was left alone as Riddle and the wizard left the room. She felt relief wash over her but at the same time, she felt sorry for Peter. He definitely wasn't cut for this type of labor.

"Sofia." A voice called out.

Sofia looked up, startled. A wizard in a black cloak stood on top of the mezzanine. His head was covered along with a black scarf that hid the lower half of his face. Only his eyes showed.

_When did he apparate in? How does he know my name?_ Sofia thought.

The wizard above her didn't move as he watched her intently for a moment. Sofia walked closer for a better look.

"Excuse me do I know you? Are you one of the guards here?" Sofia asked.

"I am Merrick." He said. Without another word, he threw a wand at Sofia's feet.

It took her a moment before her eyes widened at the sight of it. She picked up the wand looking it over. It was her wand that went missing the day Riddle attacked. She had pushed the memory to the back of her mind. A mix of emotions flooded through her.

Finally, the wizard spoke. "I want you to kill Tom Riddle."


	10. 10: Confero Veritas

**Chapter 10: Confero Veritas**

**Original Timeline  
Six Days Before The Attack On Sofia's Family**

Newt grabbed some toast from the kitchen. His younger sister was sitting at the table sipping her coffee.

"So, do I get a tour of the ministry today?" Sofia asked casually.

Newt turned with a smile on his face. "Nope."

Sofia's face fell. "You promised."

"Nice try." Newt countered

Sofia slammed her coffee mug down, spilling the liquid everywhere. "I want to see where you work."

"Oy! Don't start or I'll give you a smack. You know you don't have the clearance." Newt warned. He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead.

"I'm not five anymore. You could sneak me in." She grumbled.

"Next time. You know the reporters are coming to the ministry today for an interview about my new spell," Newt said.

Sofia sighed. "Fine. I wish dad were still alive. He would be proud of you."

"Yeah, I know. I miss him too," Newt said.

He grabbed his toast and headed out the door. "You just want a share of the limelight. We can't all be as famous."

Sofia gave Newt a fake glare and threw a shoe at her brother. "Jerk."

He ducked, chuckling. "Laters."

Newt rushed into the Ministery as his supervisor, Edgar Brown greeted him. "You're late. Are you ready? The reporters are all set and waiting for you."

Newt nodded, smoothing over his robes. "Sorry, Sofia was being a pain. Yeah, I'm ready."

Edgar smiled as Newt smoothed over his robes. The reporters were set up in the main lobby, waiting. "Nervous?"

"Excited." Newt grinned.

Newt walked out to the podium as cameras snapped several photos. Several reporters were already shouting questions.

"Welcome. If everyone will quiet down please, I'll begin."

The reporters sat down, quills ready to take down information. Edgar stood in the back, watching.

"As you may have heard, I've discovered a magic technique. This new spell lets the witch or wizard collect memories from objects and view them. The memories are formed from the history of events surrounding it. Once the proper spell has been used on the objects, you can then absorb the memories of that object. You don't need to view these memories in a Pensieve like human memories." Newt explained.

"Can you give us a demonstration?" A wizard reporter called out.

"Yes, of course. Would anyone like to volunteer an object for demonstration?." Newt replied.

An older witch held up a gold necklace with a small gold owl attached to it. Newt took the necklace, thanking the woman. He set it dangling from the podium so everyone could see it. He stepped back and drew out his wand.

"Confero Veritas," Newt said.

A flash of violet light hit the necklace, causing it to glow.

The audience was on the edge of their seats, watching Newt's every move.

Newt walked up and with the tip of his wand, small violet pieces of light were drawn from the necklace to Newt's mind. He was silent for a moment, the memories of the necklace merging with his own memories.

Newt smiled. "It's almost like I'm dreaming, but I'm awake. I can clearly see the memories attached to the necklace. I can almost feel emotions from the people in the past as well. I see two young people in a park. A boy and a girl smiling at each other. He's in a Gryffindor robe, she is in Ravenclaw. He gives it to her as a gift and asks her to be his girlfriend. She accepts and is very happy. They are on their first date. They've been together ever since."

The woman beamed happily. "Yes, that's right. My husband and I met in Hogwarts. He gave it to me on our first date and I've never taken it off."

The crowd clapped as Newt smiled and gave the witch back her necklace.

"Any questions?" Newt asked.

"How is this different from the art of psychometry?" A reporter asked.

"Good question. Psychometry relies on touching an object and using extrasensory perception. It's an impression. My spell draws accurate memories. There are no impressions or guesswork."

Another reporter held up her quill.

Newt pointed at her. "Yes?"

"When will the spell be cleared with the Ministry for public use?"

"It's scheduled in five days," Newt said.

"Can the memories collected be viewed by more than one wizard? Or does it have to be one memory at a time?" A male reporter asked.

"It is not limited by one memory per wizard. More than one person can view the same memory." Newt said.

Everyone clapped and more photos were taken. Newt thanked everyone and left.

**The Morning Of The Attack**

Newt yawned, wishing he had drunk some coffee before work. He was over dark magic artifacts. They had been taken by the Aurors. It was Newt's job to make sure they were sorted, added onto the list, and secured so the public couldn't access them.

Newt placed a finished box onto the shelf. He turned, as a wizard in a black robe stood directly behind him. He had most of his head covered. Newt's eyes widened. He drew his wand, pointing it at the intruder.

"This area is restricted. You can't be here." Newt warned.

The wizard drew out a shiny black cube from his robes. "I heard you have created a new spell. I need you to use that spell on this."

Newt didn't lower his wand. The man's voice sounded strange. Like layers of voices. He must have altered it with magic.

"Who are you?" Newt demanded.

"My name is Merrick. I promise you It will be worth your time." He said.

The cloaked wizard drew out a bag, emptying the contents on the floor. Galleons spilled out as Newt's eyes widened. It was more galleons than he earned in six months. He and his sister needed the money too. He hesitated, considering.

"That's half. I'll give the other half after you have completed the spell." Merrick said.

Newt frowned. This didn't feel right. That was a lot of money. "Is it a dark magic artifact?"

"No," Merrick said.

"I'll do it." Newt decided.

Merrick handed him the black cube. Newt set it on a table and stood back. He took a deep breath, hoping this wasn't a mistake and cast the spell. The cube activated and Newt began absorbing memories from it. He frowned deeper as the memories hit him.

"What is this?" Newt demanded.

Merrick remained quiet.

Newt tried to draw away from the object but was unable to stop the flow of memories taking over his brain. Strands of violet light flowed out of the cube, invading Newt's brain. He grabbed his head and fell to his knees.

"What are these images?" He asked.

Newt fell backward on the floor, twisting and writhing. He screamed in agony, holding his head.

"Make it stop!" He begged.

The cube suddenly stopped as Newt lay unconscious on the ground.

Merrick stood over Newt with a sneer. He picked up the black cube and apparated out, leaving Newt all alone.


	11. 11: Consequences of Choice

**Chapter 11: Consequences of Choice**

**New Timeline  
The Pit**

A million questions ran through Sofia's mind, but not one could be spoken. She stared up at the wizard Merrick. She had heard him wrong, she must have. Who was this guy that wanted Tom Riddle dead? How did he get her wand? Instead, only one simple word fell from her lips.  
"What?"

"I want you to kill Tom Riddle," Merrick ordered.

Sofia noticed his voice was strange like several voices overlapping. There was a familiar sound under it all, but she couldn't single it out. If he had asked this before she had been assaulted by Peter, she would have said yes in a heartbeat. Riddle needed to be brought to justice, but to kill him? She needed to fix the timeline first. Sofia shook her head at Merrick. Her brother's face came into her mind. If she killed Riddle now, she would be free of him. So many mixed emotions stirred inside her.

Sofia turned to the door as if Riddle would walk in and fix all of this. Merrick interrupted her thoughts.

"Do not speak to him. Do not give him time to answer. Kill him the moment he comes in." Merrick said.

Sofia shook her head. "No. I can't do that. Riddle may be evil, but I won't kill him. If you want to bring him to justice, I'll help you."

"Kill Tom Riddle or face the consequences," Merrick demanded. The light in the room seemed to dim as Merrick's anger rose.

Sofia glared up at Merrick and pointed her wand at him. "No."

Several workers came in from their break. They moved around Sofia, continuing to work. No one looked up at Merrick. They were used to working and not questioning the wizards over them.

Merrick raised his arms and laughed. Sofia looked around and back at Merrick.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

One man started screaming and grabbed his head. He fell to the ground, followed by another. Several more workers collapsed, screaming. They writhed in pain and agony.

Sofia could only watch in horror, holding her hands over her ears. There was no spell to counter this. She didn't even know what he was doing to them.

Sofia raised her wand at Merrick, "Stupefy."

Merrick apparated out of the room before the spell hit him.

That didn't stop the workers from dying in front of her. She shut her eyes as workers began bleeding from their eyes, followed by the sound of bones crunching.

Silence.

Sofia slowly opened her eyes again and lowered her hands. The workers were dead. Where was Riddle? Was he alive? Why was she okay? Why didn't Merrick attack her? Sofia didn't dare look at the bodies, but blood and crushed bodies were everywhere.

"Expelliarmus." A voice commanded.

Sofia's wand flew from her hand and landed on the floor.

She looked up startled as Tom Riddle entered the room. Riddle marched over and grabbed her roughly by the arm and dragged her out of the room.

"Ow." She protested. His tight grip dug into her flesh, nearly pulling her off her feet as he dragged her behind him into the pit supervisor's office. He shoved her roughly inside and slammed the door.

Riddle's eyes were furious and his jaw tightened. "What have you done!?"

Sofia shook her head, any arguments were lost in Riddle's fury.

Riddle brought the palm of his hand down and slapped Sofia hard across her face.

Sofia shrunk from his gaze in both fear and pain. She brought her hand to her sore face, shocked.

"Do you have any idea how this is going to look when the Emperor hears about this? Believe me, he's going to hear about it because I have to report it to him personally."

"I didn't do this." She whispered

"Why should I believe you?" Riddle shouted.

"Why would I do this? Why would I kill everyone?" She argued.

"Peter Pettigrew." He answered.

The accusation stung worse than the slap she had received. "He was already being punished. I didn't kill anyone. There was another wizard, he did it."

Riddle opened the door and held out his wand. With a flick of his wrist, Sofia's wand flew neatly into his waiting hand. "Yeah what did he look like?"

"I don't know, I couldn't see his face," Sofia said.

"How convenient," Riddle said.

Sofia sighed and looked away, wiping at tears.

Riddle walked over to Sofia, grabbed her by the chin, and held up her wand. "Do you know carrying one of these is a death sentence?"

"That wizard Merrick had it."

Riddle snapped her wand in half as Sofia cringed at the sound. He put the broken pieces away and turned with a sigh.

"There was one odd thing about him. He had a weird voice." Sofia said.

Riddle turned his head in her direction and stared at her intensely. "What did you just say?"

"His voice. Merrick's voice sounded like overlapping voices when he talked."

"You know who I'm talking about?" She asked.

Of course, Riddle didn't answer her, he never did. "Let's go."

He took her arm and they apparated out. When they arrived, there was a flying coach awaiting.

A small wizard in black robes nodded. "Where to sir?"

"The Emperor's Palace," RIddle instructed.

Sofia and Riddle climbed inside as the wizard held the door open for them.

"Right away."

The coach looked old fashioned, with double seats facing each other. The coach jerked once before taking off. It tilted slightly as they flew into the air.

Sofia watched Riddle uncomfortably as he looked quietly out the window.

"Am I going to be executed?" Sofia asked.

"Not by me," Riddle answered unhelpfully.

It was already dark outside when they arrived, landing in front of a large palace that Sofia didn't recognize. She followed him inside as Riddle announced himself to a guard posted in front of a grand golden door as big as the Hogwarts entrance.

The guard nodded to Riddle and rushed inside.

Riddle straightened himself out, then turned and did the same for Sofia. His voice was soft but firm. "You speak out of turn or become disrespectful in any way I will use the Cruciatus curse on you. Do you understand me?"

"Yes," Sofia said.

The guards opened the door and Sofia followed Riddle inside. Who was this emperor? Did he rule over the entire wizarding and muggle world?

An empty throne sat elevated on a few steps. Riddle waited quietly with his hands behind his back. Next thing she knew Riddle grabbed her head forcing her to kneel with her head down. She looked over he did the same.

Sofia resisted the urge to pull away. Finally he let go.

"Rise." A voice commanded.

Sofia stood up Riddle rose next to her. She looked up curiously as her jaw dropped.

Gellert Grindewald sat on the throne.


	12. 12: The Riddle Household

**Chapter 12: The Riddle Household**

**The Riddle Mansion  
September 1926**

Thomas saw his wife in the kitchen, a hand on her growing belly while stirring some pancake batter with the other hand. He went over and took the bowl from her.

"Here let me help."He said.

"I might be six months along but I'm not fragile," Merope said.

"I know, but you should be resting." Thomas protested.

"Oh, and who's going to cook for us then, you?" She asked.

"Hey now, I make great salads." He smiled.

Merope leaned against the counter, watching her husband take over the cooking.

"I have a surprise." He said.

"Oh?" She raised her eyebrows.

"To make it easier for you, I applied for help. I contacted the new Magical Assistance Office for Pureblood Families and applied for someone to come cook and clean. They can help us out with whatever we need. We just have to provide a place for them to sleep. They should arrive tomorrow." He smiled.

Merope nodded. "It will feel weird though, having a servant."

Thomas smiled, "The Riddle mansion has always had servants. If anything, it will feel more normal."

The next morning a loud crash startled Merope awake. The sound of shouting made her rush out of bed and down the stairs. She found Thomas hiding behind the couch. He motioned her over as a plate was thrown across the room towards them.

"Stupid Wizards!" A voice from the kitchen shouted.

She joined her husband as they peeked up from the couch to get a better look.

"What type of abomination has invaded our home?" Thomas said.

Merope caught a full glimpse of what Thomas was referring to. She took one look at Thomas' frightened face and burst out laughing.

Thomas looked at Merope growing annoyed. "What is so funny?"

"That abomination is our new help. It's called a house-elf."

Thomas looked at her incredulously. "Are you joking? That giant rat is our new servant? I was expecting something more..."

"Human?" She finished.

"Yes." He said.

"Although, house-elves are usually more docile. What in the world did you do?" Merope asked.

The house-elf continued to throw and break anything he could get his hands on.

"I might have chased him around and hit him with a broom while yelling at him to get out," Thomas said.

"Well, you might try..."

She was cut off as Thomas' eyes grew twice their size. "No! No! No! Not my grandmother's fine china!"

The house-elf watched him with a sneer and snapped his fingers causing two things to happen. Thomas who had lunged at the House-elf was now dangling in mid-air, and the second thing was all of grandmother's fine china crashed to the floor in pieces.

Merope tiptoed into the kitchen as the house-elf mocked her husband.

"Stupid rat eh? How about I turn you into an ape you are filthy muggle!" The house-elf said.

"Wait! Please." Merope said and held up her hands.

"What?" The creature demanded.

"This was all a giant misunderstanding. Why don't you give my husband a chance to apologize?"

Thomas looked at her aghast. "Me? Apologize? What about my grandmother's china?"

The house-elf glowered at Thomas. Merope threw him a pleading look.

"Oh fine. I'm sorry I mistook you for a giant rat." Thomas said.

"And?" The creature demanded.

Thomas looked like he was going to insult the house-elf again.

"Thomas please!" Merope said.

Thomas sighed heavily. "I'm sorry for hitting you with a broom. It was uncalled for and not the behavior of a gentleman."

The house-elf snapped his fingers and Thomas fell to the floor with an "Oof."

Merope cringed and ran to her husband. "You okay?"

Thomas grumbled with a nod. "Fine."

"Do you have a name?" Merope asked the house-elf.

"Skull." The creature said with a snap of his fingers.

The entire kitchen was restored to normal along with grandmother's china.

Thomas got up, brushed himself off, and cleared his throat. "Welcome to the Riddle household Mr. Skull."


End file.
